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August opening date for new Malmesbury Waitrose

THE new Waitrose supermarket in Malmesbury is set to open on August 7.

The store, currently being built on land behind the Avon Silk Mills, is creating 170 new jobs and two apprenticeships.

Departments will include a bakery, meat, fish and cheese counters, a wine department and there will be a delivery service.

Branch manager Fiona Orwin said: “Work is now well underway, and we are very happy to announce an opening date for the new branch.

“We have wanted to open a store in Malmesbury for a long time now and we are looking forward to becoming part of the local community in August.”

The opening of the store will also see the start of an initiative to donate £1,000 each month to local charities nominated by customers.

Waitrose won planning permission for the controversial site in May last year, at the same time an application by Sainsbury’s for a site further along the bypass at Malmesbury Garden Centre was thrown out.

Greenfield campaigners described the scheme as a desecration of the gateway to Malmesbury, but it was favoured by the neighbourhood plan steering group because it was closer to the centre.